Critical Approaches to Technology and Society
Undergraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 15
- Teaching semesters Autumn
- Course code
- DIKULT106
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
The course provides an introduction to the critical analysis of cultural, societal, and normative aspects of digital technologies. It is structured into thematic modules which may vary in topic from year to year. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, surveillance, accessibility, online identities, gender and technology, internet use from a global perspective, ethics in a digital society, and self-representation in digital media.
The course contributes to the development of students’ academic writing skills and serves as a foundation for further studies in the cultural, societal, and normative aspects of technology.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
The candidate has knowledge of
- different humanistic approaches to critically analyzing technology in society.
- how digital technologies impact our understanding of ourselves and others.
Skills
The candidate can
- write analytical texts that adhere to best practices in academic writing.
- contribute to contemporary scholarly discussions in the field.
- use scholarly references in conjunction with independent thinking to develop a coherent chain of argumentation.
General competence
The candidate can
- write analytical texts adhering to best practice in academic writing.
- contribute to contemporary scholarly discussion in the field.
- use scholarly references in conjunction with independent thinking and development of ideas, to develop a chain of argumentation.
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to the Course
The course is open to students in the Bachelor’s program in Digital Culture, as well as exchange students. Other Bachelor’s and Master’s students admitted to the University of Bergen may be admitted to the course, if there is capacity.
The course has a limited capacity, and students admitted to the Bachelor's program in Digital Culture will be prioritized. Details on application deadlines will be published in Studentweb ahead of each semester.
Teaching and learning methods
The class schedule will be available by the beginning of the semester.
It is important for students to attend the orientation session early in the semester, before the teaching begins.
Lectures follow a student-active learning model and typically involve a combination of lectures from the teacher(s), presentations of group work, plenary discussions, writing exercises, and practical work.
Students are expected to work 18 hours per week on the course from the beginning until the end of the teaching period, including weeks with no scheduled classes. These hours should be used for lectures, reading course literature, completing exercises, writing compulsory assignments, and researching relevant material in the library and online. During the teaching-free weeks, students are expected to use this time for reading course materials, completing assignments, and preparing for the exam.
The students may be invited to relevant guest lectures and events organized by Digital Culture and the Center for Digital Narrative.
If fewer than five students register for the course, the department may offer reduced tuition. Please refer to the department’s guidelines on Mitt UiB for more information. In this case, students will be notified before the semester registration deadline.
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
Attendance is compulsory for everything the course covers. Course participation is approved by the course coordinator. If a student exceeds 25% in absences, they will not be eligible to take the exam. Students are responsible for tracking their own attendance and should keep a record of any missed classes.
To be eligible for the exam, students must complete between three and six compulsory assignments. The assignments may be short written essays, creating digital content, or peer-review tasks. Deadlines for these assignments will be provided at the start of the semester. Each assignment is assessed as either "approved" or "not approved". If an assignment is marked as "not approved" the student will be allowed one additional attempt.
All assignments must be completed and approved within the semester of teaching before the student becomes eligible to take the exam.
Forms of Assessment
The course concludes with a 4,000-word essay in the style of a seven-day take home exam.
The student can take the exam either in English or Norwegian.
Grading Scale
Assessment Semester
Reading List
The course material typically includes books and articles that are available in bookstores or digital compendiums or will be freely accessible online. Video recordings of online lectures or documentary films may also be included in the syllabus; these will either be freely available online or shown during the course.
The required course materials are typically in English. However, students may use and reference sources in other languages for assignments and exams.
The list of compulsory and recommended readings, as far as available in advance, will be posted on Mitt UiB before the start of the semester and updated as necessary. The readings will be available at Akademika or as downloadable e-books or articles.
Students are also expected to familiarize themselves with additional relevant academic materials through the library, online academic sources, and independent research on the topic.